Clichés
by FantomoDrako
Summary: New faces, new names, new places...but do you ever feel like no matter how many times you read something new it feels like you've been there and done that? Clichés of the YGO fic fandom as told in story format with the help of Yugi and the Pharaoh.
1. Chapter 1

It was a quiet night with a slight breeze that softly rustled the leaves of trees. The sky was dark with only tiny pinpricks of light to break up the black canvas. It was a new moon so the silvery light was missing, leaving the street lights as the only light source. The darkness carried with it a hint of a dark feeling; the kind that sends chills down your spine and makes you look over your shoulder for something behind you.

Inside the Millennium Puzzle the spirit of an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh shivered. He reached out with his mind to contact the boy whose body he shared.

\\\Yugi? Yugi, are you awake?\\\

\I wish I wasn't,\ came the reply. \Is something wrong?\

\\\There's a sinister feeling in the air. Just be on guard.\\\

Yugi sighed. \Can't get a break, can we…um…what do you want me to call you for this? Atem? Atemu? Pharaoh? Yami? Mou hitori no boku?\

The spirit blinked and left his soul room to stand in the corridor that separated his soul from Yugi's. After several seconds the shorter boy left his own soul room to join the spirit in the corridor.

"Where are we in the timeline?" the spirit asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yugi scratched his head. "Um…before the Waking the Dragons arc?"

"So…how do you know the name Atem or Atemu?"

Yugi stared blankly at him and shrugged. "The other names work, yeah?"

"I don't mind 'Pharaoh' even though it's a title and not a name," the ancient ruler said.

"What about 'Yami'? It seems to be your most popular name Yami Yugi."

The spirit tapped his chin thoughtfully, keeping silent for several long moments. "I don't know, it's more of a description than a name, you know? Pharaoh or not I'm known as 'Other Yugi' or 'Dark Yugi' because I'm a lot less innocent than you are. It just…doesn't strike me as a name, especially when you add Yami Bakura into the mix. Then we both get called 'Yami' and it just gets damn confusing, yeah? The dub instigated that."

Yugi couldn't argue the logic of what the spirit said. "So what about Mou hitori no boku?"

"Nani?"

"What?"

"Exactly!"

"…what?" Yugi asked again, completely confused.

"Why say only a few random words in Japanese if we're meant to be speaking one language? If the majority of what we say is in one language but then you toss in a few words here and there of another language, even if it's meant to be the main one spoken, then it just gets confusing Aibou!"

"Ai-who? Oh, you mean Partner! You have a point Other Me, but pretty much everyone knows the main Japanese words and phrases used so it's not really a problem, right?"

The Pharaoh settled his crimson gaze squarely onto Yugi's eyes and stared at him as though trying to convey the secrets of the universe to the shorter boy with the power of his optical organs.

"Demo-"

"No."

"Onegai?"

"No."

"Kuso!"

"Yugi!" the spirit said in an admonishing tone.

"Gomen nasai…"

"Yugi!" the spirit said again, this time in a partially pleading tone.

"Okay, okay, sorry!"

The spirit ran a hand through his blond bangs. "Let's just jump on the bandwagon for now and go with 'Yami' even though it's not a real name, okay?"

"Right!" Yugi happily agreed. "Now that that's out of the way we can get back to the plot."

"Plot? Oh, right! Where was I? Ah yes. I have a bad feeling, Yugi, as though something evil is headed this way," Yami said ominously, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Don't worry Yami! Whatever it is we can handle it!" Yugi announced, his eyes alight with determination.

"…with a children's trading card game?"

"…yes."

"Business as usual then. You have school tomorrow so you better get to sleep. Just keep an eye out for anything strange," Yami warned.

Yugi nodded and bid the spirit a good night, retreating back to his soul room for some much needed rest. Yami followed suit through his own door, leaving the corridor cold, dark and empty.

* * *

Morning came without incident unless you count Yugi almost choking on a piece of toast while rushing around in an attempt to avoid being late to school. He grabbed his bag, said a muffled goodbye to his grandfather and ran out the door with half a slice of toast held in his teeth.

He met up with all of his friends at school and they sat in homeroom waiting for the teacher to arrive. They were happily chatting about various things and Yugi completely forgot about the dark feeling from last night. Even Ryou Bakura was joining in the conversation, chuckling quietly at Joey's enthusiastic story telling that included much arm waving to help illustrate points.

The teacher entered the room, prompting the various conversations between students to dwindle away. The teacher, a man of middling age with average features because he is an inconsequential character, stood behind his desk and cleared his throat. Everyone turned to him expectantly.

"Class, we have a new transfer student. Please welcome them. Come in," they called.

A girl walked shyly into the room, her hair hanging down to curtain her face and hide her eyes. Her hair was a very light blonde that bordered on white. She was a little on the short side; taller than Yugi by a good foot at least, and had a slender figure with curves that no girl that thin should have because it just isn't physically possible. Her hair, what parts of it that weren't hanging in her face, cascaded down her back, stopping at the base of her spine.

The teacher knew her hair length was against school rules, but he was unimportant and she seemed very pretty so he let it slide.

When the girl was next to the teacher's desk she stopped, turned towards the class and raised her head so everyone could now see her face.

Most of the class gasped and many of the boys started to drool.

Her eyes were a delicate shade of sky blue mixed with lilac. Even the smallest movement of her head could change the shade to completely blue or totally lilac depending on the light. They were outlined with black eyeliner and done in such a way that made her look exotic, like an Egyptian Queen of old. She had a slender heart-shaped face that gave her an innocently appealing look. Her nose was small and fit her face perfectly and her lips were full, covered by a faint sheen of dark pink lip gloss. Her skin was very light, like porcelain, and she looked like a beautiful, fragile doll.

\\\Yugi, why has everything ground to a screaming halt?\\\ the spirit suddenly asked.

Yugi gave a small start and frowned lightly. \Way to give me a heart attack, Yami. You know that no one can interrupt a description of a girl like this! You have to wait until it's over and that takes at least three medium-sized paragraphs on average.\

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" the teacher suggested.

The girl fidgeted, seemingly disliking being put on the spot. "Um…hello, my name is Mariko Suyo. I just moved here with my parents. My father is Japanese, but he's an ambassador and goes out of the country a lot. He met my mother in Egypt and yes, I'm half Egyptian. I was raised in Egypt for years until my father decided we should move here to Japan for…reasons. It is…very nice to meet…you all," she said, her eyes roaming around the room until they landed on Yugi during her last words.

\She's staring at me, Yami.\

\\\What do you want me to do about it?\\\

\Make her stop, she's creeping me out!\ Yugi mentally yelled, blushing at all the attention he was getting because the new girl was focused on him.

\\\The things I do for you,\\\ the Pharaoh grumbled good-naturedly. He was about to switch places with Yugi when a tingly jolt ran through his soul. He saw, through Yugi's eyes, the new girl. Her eyes were locked onto his; her gaze intense.

\\\\...\\\

\I told you she was creepy,\ Yugi said matter-of-factly.

Yami hummed thoughtfully to himself for a moment. \\\She is the new girl and the majority of your class seem quite enamoured of her. It seems odd that we would be thinking ill of her, especially since she is doing nothing but looking at us.\\\

\You bring up good points. I have one too.\

\\\Oh?\\\

\She's still staring at us.\

\\\We've met lots of strange people. Man up and deal with it, Partner.\\\

"Why don't you take the seat near Mr Mutou? Raise your hand Mr Mutou," the teacher said.

\Crap…\ Yugi thought with a wince. He shyly raised his hand, avoiding looking at the new girl's face as she walked past all of the other students and sat in the seat to his right.

She sent him a small smile before averting her gaze to the front as the teacher finally began the lesson. Yugi breathed a tiny sigh of relief as the attention shifted off him and the Pharaoh withdrew back into the Puzzle, leaving the link open enough that Yugi could easily call him if needed.

The time to lunch slowly ticked down but eventually the bell rang for break. The majority of the class hung back, sending not-so-subtle glances at Mariko more often that was strictly polite. The boys looked intrigued or hopeful although some looked wistful and forlorn, feeling that such a beauty would never look their way over the popular jocks and the pretty-boys. The girls looked envious, angry, depressed and calculating. If one of them could become friends with the new girl then the attention her looks brought would be a boon to whoever managed it. Others just hated her for outclassing them so easily.

Yugi usually stayed in the classroom, playing games at his desk with his friends. Sometimes they went up to the roof if it was a really nice day or they just needed some fresh air. He looked up as he noticed his friends around his desk. They too were sending the odd glance at the girl still sitting at the next desk.

Tristan looked a little conflicted. Yugi guessed that his love for Serenity was battling with the pure physical attraction for Mariko Suyo. Joey was sporting a dazed expression, the faintest pink hue dusting his cheeks. Téa looked disgruntled more than anything and Yugi thought that perhaps some jealousy was warring with Téa's usual friendly nature.

\\\Expecting a trademark Téa Friendship Speech, partner?\\\

\Okay, I'll admit that they can get annoying, but the basic message is a good one. Why do you ask?\

\\\Oh, just some people grumbling. You're usually not paying attention to the other people in the hallways, but I hear quite a bit when I want to,\\\ Yami said with shrug; the action coming across to Yugi as more of a feeling.

\What do they say?\ Yugi asked as his curiosity got the better of him.

\\\They say that if she changes her name to Anzu then she won't be as annoying.\\\

Yugi cocked his head to one side. \Why would she call herself Anzu? The only one with a Japanese name around here is me. Not counting the new girl! Wouldn't it sound a bit weird?\

\\\Weird like Joey's accent?\\\

\What's wrong with it? That accent is what makes Joey Wheeler…well, Joey Wheeler. Will calling him Jounouchi Katsuya get rid of his accent?\

\\\Odds are it would,\\\ the spirit replied nonchalantly. \\\Where did you pull that name from?\\\

Now it was Yugi's turn to shrug, mentally, or else people would think he was weirder than they already thought.

"Er, Yugi? Are you okay?" Téa asked in concern at her short friend's silence.

The King of Games had to resist the urge to bang his head onto his desk. "Yeah, just…thinking," he said, a slight emphasis on the last word. The look of understanding that flashed across her face let him know that she'd gotten the real meaning. Téa was quite smart, no matter what opinions other people held of her, Yugi thought.

"Did you guys want to go outside for lunch?" Yugi asked his friends.

Joey bent down and said in a quiet voice, "Should we invite the new girl?"

Glances were exchanged all around. Tristan nodded after a moment shortly followed by Téa. With some hesitation Yugi added his assent, gesturing for Joey to go ahead. The blond swallowed nervously and stepped across to Mariko's desk, shoving one hand into a pocket so that he couldn't twist his fingers together as he often did when nervous or embarrassed.

"Hey there! Mariko, right?" he asked, injecting as much confidence into his voice as he could manage.

Mariko looked up at Joey and smiled, showing off beautiful white teeth; not a single one of them crooked. "Yes, that's me," she answered softly. "You're Joey Wheeler, one of the top ranked duellists, right?"

 _This girl actually knows me and didn't overlook me!_ Joey thought with glee, liking the new girl more and more. "Yep, you got it! " he said proudly. "Anyway, me an' my friends here were wonderin' if you'd like ta join us for lunch outside?"

\\\I'm a little surprised he got that all out,\\\ Yami said.

\Why? Because Joey doesn't have the best track record with girls?\

\\\No,\\\ Yami replied with a chuckle. \\\A lot of times it's easier to be lazy with the accent so Joey either doesn't say much or…doesn't sound like Joey.\\\

\No Brooklyn Rage?\

\\\None.\\\

\Blasphemy!\ Yugi mentally cried out.

\\\Nyeh,\\\ came the reply accompanied by that shrugging feeling.

Mariko's smiled softened and her eyes sparkled, making them look like chips of amethyst. "Oh, are you sure? I'd hate to impose," she said submissively.

Joey blushed and scratched his cheek idly with a finger. "It's no problem at all! We can help ya get settled in here and all if ya want."

"Then I accept your offer, thank you!" Mariko chirped brightly, her chair creaking slightly as she stood up.

The group plus one left the classroom to angry and envious looks from numerous classmates. The walk up to the roof was awkward; the silence broken only by the odd small questions and answers between Tristan, Joey, Téa and Mariko. When they finally reached the door to the roof they opened it to reveal a blue sky and comfortably warm sunshine with the occasional small cloud scattered about.

"Huh, the weather mentioned showers today," Yugi blurted out absently.

Joey scoffed. "Those weather people are often wrong. I get spooked a bit when they get it _right._ "

"So Mariko, how long have you been in Domino?" Téa asked, standing beside the other girl. "I know you said you just moved here. Have you had enough time to settle in?"

Mariko tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I've been in Domino for three days. I do like it here and even though I've spent the past three days unpacking and enrolling I do feel settled in, like I've been here for years."

"Do you miss Egypt?" Yugi asked as his curiosity got the better of him.

Mariko tilted her head thoughtfully, the light making her eye colour change like liquids mixing together. "I did say I liked it here and I really do, but I do miss Egypt. It feels like my heart is here but my soul is back in Egypt among the desert sands," she answered, her eyes once again catching Yugi's.

"We've met some people from Egypt before and…please don't take this the wrong way, but your skin seems such a light colour for you having lived there for years," Téa said somewhat awkwardly, looking at Mariko with a look that was equal parts curious and apologetic.

Yugi and Yami were both glad that Mariko was no longer looking at them.

\Her soul is among Egypt's sands? I'm not sure if she's just waxing poetic or alluding to you, Pharaoh,\ Yugi said to the spirit as casually as he could manage.

Yami hummed thoughtfully before replying. \\\There is a way to find out.\\\

\Oh? Do tell.\

\\\You could bait her by dropping a hint back and see if she takes the bait. This could go either way, depending on what type of new girl she is.\\\

Yugi stared blankly ahead, hoping no one noticed him spaced out. \Nope, you've lost me, pal.\

The spirit chuckled and sat on the throne in one of his main soul rooms. \\\She'll either take the bait and reveal quite a bit…probably more than you'd ever want her to because she can't help herself and wants to spill all straight away while trying to give the illusion of mysterious secret keeper, therefore taking over almost straight away while we follow blindly. Or she will miss the bait and continue being the mysterious exotic new girl, only catching a glimpse of her secrets when something big happens and therefore turning her into the main focus for everything after making us run around researching her. I…honestly don't know if there's any middle ground for her type…\\\

It took Yugi a few moments to digest that. \When did you become a psychoanalyst?\

\\\I was the foremost judge in Egypt, Yugi. I've always been one,\\\ Yami replied with a wry grin and a royal-like hand wave that Yugi couldn't see.

Ignoring the glaring plot-holes that reply brought into question Yugi decided to take the spirit's advice and go fishing. First he figured he'd better tune back into the conversation.

"-and so no one is sure why I don't have a tan. I hope that satisfies your curiosity, Téa," Mariko said.

Téa simply looked a little dazed, like the boys had been explaining cars and motorbikes again and she had tuned out because what they were saying made no sense to her. "Uh…yeah…thanks," she replied a little absently.

\Téa's handling this pretty well,\ Yugi mentally remarked, feeling a wave of agreement flow through the link seconds later. "My grandfather used to be an explorer and he loved Egypt. He used to tell me what he could about his favourite pharaoh. Do you have a favourite?" he asked, picturing a little stick figure casting out a line into the water in his mind.

Mariko took a moment to answer. "I don't have a favourite, per se… but there is one I find very intriguing."

"Who?" Joey asked, completely focused on the new girl.

"I don't know his name," Mariko said with a shrug. "There are only a few mentions of him scattered about and a portion of that time period has not been recorded or the records have been destroyed. It's exciting to wonder why there is no name, no real history for that pharaoh. Was he good? Was he evil? What happened during his reign? Oh, I'm sorry, this must be very boring to hear me chatter about…"

\Hook, line and sinker!\ Yugi thought victoriously. "Do you mean The Nameless Pharaoh?"

Mariko stared at Yugi. "Oh, you've heard of him then? Yes… I do believe that artefact hanging from your neck was taken from his tomb. Was that liberated by your grandfather from his favourite pharaoh's tomb?" she asked slyly.

Yugi couldn't stop the blush that spread across his cheeks at the thought that his grandfather really had stolen a priceless artefact from another country. "Er, well, yes…"

Mariko's eyes sparkled as she gave Yugi an evaluating look. Everyone ignored the grinding sound coming from Téa's teeth. Probably not a wise thing to ignore, but they were a bit distracted.

"There may not be much recorded history of that pharaoh," Mariko said slowly, "but there _are_ stories…"

* * *

 **A/N:** What to say about this… Uh… I was bored, rewatching Yu-Gi-Oh! and a Plot Bunny bit me really hard?

Actually that is true. But I was also strolling through the fandom here on FF dot net and the horrendous amount of clichés I saw almost made me cry. So I figured why not poke a bit of fun at the more common ones while in a sort-of story format with the main character(s) 4th wall aware and pointing things out?

I decided to do it as a challenge, just to see if I could. Also to help lighten up this fandom without a mushy slash fic or other gooey love story. And maybe…just maybe! some people will read this and rethink parts of their own fics to avoid the traps and pitfalls of clichés and Mary Sue-ism.

And yes, I came up with the name Mariko Suyo based off Mary Sue. Also yes, I watch YGOTAS. XD

I may write more, I may not… I started this on a whim. But if you want me to continue it then I'll do my best.

Please let me know what you think of this in a review! I really appreciate constructive criticism and am always looking to improve.


	2. Chapter 2

**Clichés Chapter 2**

"One of these stories ties in with history and speaks of games, darkness and monsters. This is actually where Pegasus got Duel Monsters from," Mariko said.

Tristan gave an impatient little wave. "Yeah, we know that part."

Mariko raised a slender eyebrow. "Do forgive me, I'm not used to people knowing that as it isn't exactly common knowledge."

The others could see a large sweat-drop slide down the back of Tristan's head as he clumsily apologised.

"Don't worry about it," she said with a smile.

Téa cleared her throat quietly. "We only learned of that when we were at Pegasus's Castle for a Duel Monsters tournament. How do you know about it?"

Mariko's smile took on a mysterious air. "I've been in that castle myself and I've met Pegasus," was all she said.

Yugi mentally prodded the pharaoh to see if he was paying attention. The spirit gave Yugi a return poke that felt like it hit his arm. Yugi wondered how the others would react if he broke down and squirmed around laughing because the spirit had decided to tickle him. He sincerely hoped that the spirit never got it in his head to try such a thing.

\I wonder what she was doing at Pegasus's Castle. Pitching a game idea like Duke Devlin?\

\\\Flamboyant Pegasus with a teenage girl…\\\ the spirit replied magnanimously.

\What do you mean?\

\\\Later.\\\

The pharaoh appeared beside and slightly behind Yugi; a semi-transparent being dressed almost exactly like Yugi, only with some of his clothing being a darker shade and with different shoes for no reason whatsoever.

Yugi's eyes automatically slid across to track his partner's movement for a split second.

It was a movement too quick to really notice and none of Yugi's friends had. Yami was surprised when Mariko's eyes flicked across to meet his. He tensed but kept eye contact and gave the girl a small nod to see what she would do. He found himself unsurprised when she gave a tiny nod in return. The pharaoh was uncomfortable with the idea that she could see him sitting there so he stood up and walked a short distance away and partly around the group, taking him out of her immediate field of vision.

"Since you know about the origins of Duel Monsters then I'll tell you another story," Mariko said, tucking some hair behind an ear. "What was never recorded in stone has been passed down the generations by word of mouth. One of these stories tells of The Nameless Pharaoh and a girl."

Yami, who had walked around to stand almost behind Mariko, stopped several feet back from her and quirked an eyebrow. Yugi matched the movement, but he directed it at Mariko's face. Téa was even less subtle.

"A girl?" she exclaimed a little louder than she intended.

\\\Just one? I feel insulted,\\\ Yami said to Yugi via their link as he didn't want Mariko to hear. \\\According to books on Ancient Egypt most pharaohs had a whole harem of girls and that wasn't counting the concubines.\\\

Yugi clapped a hand over his nose and mouth as he snorted out a laugh, ducking his head. When he looked up he was being eyed by everyone else. "Sorry, just a stray sneeze," he said with an embarrassed grin.

\Do you mind?\ he half shouted at the spirit.

Yami sent him a wicked grin. \\\No, I rule.\\\

\Oh Ra…\

\\\Why are you swearing by an Egyptian God?\\\

\Don't you?\ Yugi shot back, confused.

Yami shrugged. \\\Why would I? Just because I know I was once a Pharaoh of Egypt millennia ago doesn't mean I know anything of their ways such as customs, speech etcetera. As fun as it is to see, it just…makes no sense. It makes more sense for me to say 'Oh Cheeseburger' considering the way you worship them,\\\ he replied with a shrug. Although Yugi could see the spirit physically shrug it still came across the link as a feeling.

\Do not!\ Yugi gave as his weak, token protest.

"Yes, a girl," Mariko said, giving Téa a strange look. "There are no carvings of her and almost every Egyptologist says that she never existed outside of tales. Mention of her has been passed down by families in Egypt, although various retellings have blurred the girl's true name as several families have several different names for her. Each family agreed on one point though…"

"Yeah? What was it?" Joey asked, completely sucked in as Mariko had trailed off.

Mariko tilted her head and brought a finger to tap against one side of her mouth. "They all agree that this girl, no matter her name, was actually the sister of the Nameless Pharaoh."

Yami and Yugi's shock mingled together, slamming into both of them twice as hard.

\You had a sister!\ Yugi mentally shouted.

"A sister?!" Téa, Tristan and Joey shouted.

\\\\...well everyone else has already shouted it, so I think I'll refrain…\\\ Yami said somewhat absently, Mariko's words obviously affecting him.

The new girl nodded, pleased at the reactions. "Yes, a sister. Some say she was born a year or two after him and was cast to the background, some say she was his overlooked twin, others say she was a slave girl that was taken in," she said a little dramatically.

"What do you think she was?" asked Yugi, his gaze flicking between Mariko and Yami.

"My father belongs to one of those Egyptian families who have passed stories down, so I'd rather not say," she said primly.

The pharaoh walked up behind her and waved two fingers as bunny ears behind her head. \\\Wait a moment… I thought it was her mother that was the Egyptian and her father was Japanese?\\\

Yugi scratched the side of his face with a finger. "Er…I thought it was your mother that was Egyptian?"

Mariko blinked, her eyes wide. "What? Who told you that? Now, back to what I was saying…"

\But… _she_ told us that! I know she did! It was only last chapter and we can click back and double-check!\

The spirit was still making shapes with his hands above Mariko's head. \\\Ah, she's one of these types who can't seem to keep her story straight. I'd be wary of believing anything she says, Yugi.\\\

Yugi mentally frowned, not wishing to do so physically and appear rude. \Yeah, but if we can go back a chapter and check, surely she can too?\

\\\You would think so, yes? But no, these types of people seem to be afflicted with a disease called _Cannotcheckfactsduetolaziness_ of the strain of _Evenifthefactsaremyown_ belonging to the more general family of _Iwannawritewithoutresearching_.\\\

Yugi gave a little mental gasp of horror. \But how could someone be so irresponsible?\

The spirit pointed at the girl in front of him. \\\Ask her if you're brave enough though beware, those types bite.\\\

"So…uh…what happened to her?" Yugi ventured to ask, not quite brave enough yet to risk the righteous defensive backlash if he called Mariko out on her error again.

She adjusted her skirt a little and brushed some imaginary dust from it. "No one seems to be quite sure on that point either. She did not take the throne after the Nameless Pharaoh though, that is a fact."

"But there's no proof that she existed at all?" asked Téa.

"No psychical evidence has been found yet," Mariko answered carefully. Her eyes seemed to twinkle with knowledge she hadn't shared.

After the bell rang the rest of the day passed quickly. When the last bell rang out to signal the end of the school day there was a rush to pack up and exit the building. Yugi hung back as usual to avoid being crushed by the initial flood of teenagers.

"I'd like to thank you and your friends for being so nice to me today. Goodbye," Mariko said, brushing past Yugi and letting her fingers graze his sleeve.

Yugi flinched, startled, but the girl had already left the room but the time he was ready to reply. He met up with his friends at the school lockers and they all left. The walk was fairly quiet as most conversations were stilted. They waved each other off when they reached a junction they could split off to go to their own homes from.

* * *

As the moonlight streamed in through Yugi's window the spirit appeared, leaning against Yugi's desk with his arms folded. Yugi himself was sitting on his bed with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. Yugi glanced at Yami and opened his mouth to say something. He shut it again after a few seconds and gave a little shrug.

Yami's crimson eyes settled on the other boy's slight frame. "What's wrong, my little hikari?"

"Your what now?" Yugi asked in surprise.

"You know…my hikari?"

Yugi just blinked.

"My light?" Yami offered.

"…no, you've lost me," Yugi said slowly, shaking his head slightly.

The spirit chuckled. "No images of yin and yang coming to mind?"

"The black and white?" he asked, receiving a nod. "Light and dark?" Another nod. "Feminine and mascu… No. No, no, no."

"No?" the pharaoh repeated curiously.

Yugi stopped hugging his knees and folded his arms, glaring at the semi-transparent being. "If I'm the light and you're the dark then that means you're the masculine aspect and I'm…" He trailed off, wrinkling his nose a bit and looking very disgruntled.

"You can't argue with the fan girls, Yugi," said Yami in a regretful and sympathetic tone.

"Yes I can," Yugi muttered darkly. "We're not the halves of Light and Dark anyway. Whoever said we were?"

Yami shrugged. "I have no idea. Probably the dub or just the fans. You're right though, we're not. I will admit that I am more dominant and you are more submissive though," he said with a grin.

"Hey!"

"So I suppose, when you look at it like that, I am the darker of the two of us and you are the lighter."

"'M not feminine…"

Yami chuckled again and walked over to Yugi, resting a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "I know you're not. Your friends know you're not. Your Grandfather knows you're not."

"What about you?" Yugi suddenly blurted out. "How are you doing? Mariko said you had a sister!"

Yami stiffened and his hand slid off Yugi's shoulders. The smaller boy actually felt the loss of the hand's touch, but the look on Yami's face made him pause. His eyes were a little blank and lost looking while his hands were now clenched into fists, betraying the fact that he was tense.

"I don't know. There's no proof of her existence apart from spoken stories passed down through old families," Yami said as though he were carefully choosing his words. "I'm honestly not sure if it's something I can believe."

Yugi was silent for a while, churning things over in his mind as he watched the spirit stand there lost in thought. It was strange to see the normally confident spirit so vulnerable and it left Yugi feeling distinctly unsettled.

"So what are you going to do?" Yugi finally asked.

Silence reigned again while Yami thought. His eyes suddenly lit up and a small smirk appeared. "We do know an old Egyptian family that would know that story…"

Yugi just blinked. "We do?"

"I think…we should contact the Ishtars," Yami said slowly but decisively.

Yugi's face lit up in realisation. "That's brilliant! Ishizu and Marik are sure to know something!" After a few seconds his happy expression fell off his face. "But they're not here in Domino anymore and they didn't leave us a phone number or anything."

Yami got a challenging gleam in his eyes. "I'm sure Kaiba can find out for us if he doesn't already know."

His host's face brightened once more. "Yes! We can ask him tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, yes. Let's leave the conversation here and get some sleep," the Pharaoh said firmly, fading out of sight as he retreated back to the Puzzle.

"Such a mother hen sometimes," Yugi chuckled to himself.

* * *

Yugi had his fingers crossed as he entered his homeroom at school in the morning. He grinned as he saw Seto Kaiba sitting at a desk with a book in front of his face. A peek at the book's cover showed that it was not a school textbook, but Kaiba had always done extra work relating to his company while at the educational institution.

Yugi sidled up to Kaiba's desk and stopped next to him. He cleared his throat quietly. "Good morning Kaiba."

The young CEO's eyes slid across to meet Yugi's and the faintest frown appeared on his face. "Yugi," he said curtly, "is there a reason you're bothering me?"

\\\As rude as ever,\\\ Yami chuckled.

"I was wondering if you had any contact details for the Ishtars," Yugi blurted out quietly before he lost his nerve.

Kaiba actually lowered his book a little and blinked. "You actually want to contact that crazy woman and her psychotic brother?" he asked slowly.

"Yes."

"Does this have anything to do with all that nonsense about ancient Egypt and pharaohs?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yugi just shrugged and replied, "A little."

Kaiba sneered with distaste. "I had enough of that rubbish during my Battle City and I never want to hear anything about it ever again."

\\\He's going to simply _adore_ the Memory World arc,\\\ Yami said with heavy sarcasm.

"I just want any contact details if you have them; it won't involve you in any way, shape or form," Yugi said firmly. \I hope.\

The brunette didn't appear reassured in the slightest but he gave a short nod. "Fine, come by my office after school," he almost hissed out.

Yugi nodded happily and said, "Thank you Kaiba!" before walking to his seat.

Téa got out of her seat to lean on Yugi's desk as her short friend started getting his books out. "What was all that about, Yugi?"

"Just a little side project," Yugi said shortly.

A minute later Mariko glided into the room, instantly commanding the attention of everyone. She looked a little disappointed as her eyes landed on Yugi, only to find him with his attention on Téa. She took her seat next to Yugi and sent him a radiant smile. "Good morning!" she chirped.

Yugi had actually glanced up when Mariko came in, but had instantly dismissed her from his mind. She still made him feel uncomfortable and he wasn't quite sure how to act around her. "Good morning Mariko," he replied, giving her a small smile.

"Good morning," Téa said to the other girl politely.

Kaiba twisted slightly in his seat to stare at Yugi and the new girl. He raised a brow at Yugi and got a shrug in return along with a tiny wince. _'Interesting,'_ he thought, wondering why the shorter boy was not taken in by the new girl. He too had given her a quick once-over as she walked in but had returned his attention to his book. Kaiba briefly considered asking Yugi about the new girl but brushed the thought aside. He just didn't care enough to bother expending the energy for some girl in his class.

\\\ _Yes._ \\\

Yugi sent an inquisitive thought to the spirit.

\\\Canon, Yugi. So many people ignore it, even if they haven't labelled anything AU.\\\

\A…U? What do cannons have to do with anything?\

The spirit paused in front of one of the many staircases in his labyrinthine mind. \\\Nevermind…\\\ he said, shaking his head and sending his blond fringe swinging.

The school day passed much like the one before, although Mariko had disappeared for lunch and no one knew where she had gone. When the last bell of the day rang Yugi waved his friends goodbye and rushed out of the room to catch up with Kaiba, missing Mariko's calculating stare.

"Kaiba!" Yugi called out just as the tall brunette was about to step outside the school gates.

The CEO stopped and waited somewhat grudgingly as his duelling rival ran across the yard. "Now what?"

"Oh uh…I was just wondering if I could catch a lift to your office with you?"

Kaiba gave Yugi a considering look before acquiescing. "Hn."

"Thank you!" Yugi said with a grateful smile.

Kaiba turned and led the way to his limo that had just pulled up. The car ride was spent in silence with the taller boy staring stonily ahead, determined not to pay much attention to his guest until necessary.

Yugi simply tried his hardest not to fidget, feeling very awkward. He was relieved when they pulled up at the imposing tower of KaibaCorp. He quietly followed the CEO into the building, up an elevator, down a number of hallways and into a luxurious, if sparse, office.

Kaiba walked over to his desk, pulled a small set of keys out from somewhere, and unlocked a drawer. He slid it open and riffled through it, pulling out a small black book after a few seconds. He flipped through it, stopping after a moment, and plucked a business card from a holder on his desk. Kaiba grabbed a pen and scribbled something on the back of the card. He swept over to Yugi, who had sidled closer to the desk, and held the card out.

"Here. I don't know what you want this for and I don't _want_ to know. I don't want to hear anything about this from you or those crazy Egyptians, are we clear?" Kaiba said with a slight sneer.

"I understand Kaiba, don't worry. Thank you very much!" Yugi said happily, ignoring the implied threat and taking the card. He gave Kaiba a quick goodbye wave and left the building as fast as he could without running. He increased speed slightly when he was out of the imposing place and made it back to the Game Shop in good time.

"At least…all the running we do…to save people…and flee bad guys…has made me…a lot fitter…" Yugi panted as he reached his room, having snagged the cordless phone on the way.

"We have a cordless phone?" Yami asked aloud as he materialised in the room.

Yugi just shrugged. "We do now."

"Convenient."

"I know, right?" Yugi said with a grin, slowly pressing the numbers on the phone that were written on the card.

Yami watched his partner, feeling nervous and excited. He suddenly frowned. "Hang on, isn't there a time difference? What if it's some ridiculous hour in Egypt and they're all asleep?"

Yugi raised his eyebrows and gave the other a searching look. "You wanna do this or not?"

The spirit sighed but mumbled out a, "Fine…"

The shorter boy had entered all the numbers and hit the call button. "It's ringing," he whispered loudly, the phone pressed against his ear. "Oh wait, did you want to be the one to talk?"

"I probably should, yes…" Yami replied softly. A flash of light from the Puzzle later and the Pharaoh was the one holding the phone, Yugi staring at him anxiously in his spirit form.

The phone clicked.

 _"'Ahlaan,_ _Ishizu yatahaddath,"_ a female voice said.

Yami resisted to urge the clear his throat. "Am I speaking to Ishizu Ishtar?"

The voice was silent for a moment before switching languages flawlessly. _"Yes, you are. Your voice sounds familiar, may I ask your name?"_

"Hello Ishizu. I'm sure this is a surprise, especially as you gave me your Millennium Item and could not foresee this," Yami replied, a hint of amusement in his tone.

 _"My Pharaoh!"_ she instantly exclaimed. _"This is indeed a surprise and an honour. Is there something I can help you with?"_

Yami nodded, even though he knew Ishizu could not see the action. "Actually, there is something…"

* * *

 **A/N:** Yeah-heh! It took a while, but I've been very busy and sadly haven't had much time to write. In the moments I did have free, this came to me reasonably quickly. It takes me absolutely ages to update my serious stories and I hate it…

What Ishizu said roughly translates to: "Hello, Ishizu speaking."

So did you like what I covered?

I see so many who skimp on details simply because they don't care/are too lazy to find out. I also see some who mess up facts _from their own story!_ I mean… _seriously?!_ (My worst offence on that front is a character who took their shoes off at the door, but mysteriously had them on later in the chapter…because I wrote those parts several months apart and didn't pay enough attention. _-sigh-_ )

I see so many OCs that somehow know Pegasus…and so many that can see the spirit of the Pharaoh, oft times for no reason or a stupid reason, like an eighth Millennium Item. Heck, I've seen stories with up to 5 or 6 extra Items. I'll probably cover that later.

I also see a sibling for the Pharaoh mentioned a lot. If that happens, they usually end up as a spirit locked away in an Item as well or just reincarnated. I wonder who this mysterious girl mentioned in a story is?

Another peeve of mine in this fandom…and it's _EVERYWHERE_ … is that 'Yami' (coughnotanamecough) and Yugi are referred to as Light and Dark, with Yugi often being called a 'hikari'. He is _nothing of the sort_. They are NOT the halves of Light and Dark. They may _seem_ that way sometimes but they're _not_.

Hikari is purely a _fan created thing_. I have seen a number of very good fics that use this concept. It definitely annoys me, but some stories are good enough that I can deal with it.

Unless it's in the summary… Like 'the Hikaris and the Yamis are blahblahblah'. No, nonono, ohgawdno. Especially when people call Marik? Malik? …let's go with Marik, since the subs often spell names with L and R wrong due to pronunciation. When people call Marik a hikari and Malik a yami (or vice-versa). They do not have separate names. They are not separate people. Pharaoh and Thief King are the souls of people long dead, Marik's evil side is nothing more than a split personality - the distinction is made clearer when you realise there's no such things as 'yamis'. Marik's evil side is simply another personality he created that took control. This is a real thing and it happens to real people.

I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for the yami/hikari one (and by extension Marik), if nothing else.

Let me know what you think! I had some great feedback and suggestions from the first.


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